Coin-controlled vending-machine.



No. 831,169. PATENTED SEPT. 18, 1906.

` s. L. LONG.

G01N GONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 29. 1905.

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S. L. LONG.

COIN CUNTROLLED VBNDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IAY 29, 1905.

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, .UNITED- STATES PATENT oEErioE.

Bpecication of Letters Patent.

' Patented Sept. 18, 1906.

Applmaon nit my 29,1905. serial No. 262.734.

invention relates to coin-controlled ven ing-machines, and has for its es ecial object to provide a machine in which ifferent kinds of articles may be sold under the control of a single coin mechanism.

To the above ends the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

In the accompanyi drawings, which illustrate my invention, li e characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in front elevation with some arts broken away and with some sectioned, illustrating a vending-machine having embodied therein the several features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section-taken through the machine pproximately on the line of Fig. 1. 1g. 3 is a vertical section taken through the machine a roximately on the linea:3 at of Fig. 1; and igs. 4. and 5 are detail views, in horizontal section, on the line x* :v5 of Fig. 1, illustrating different positions of the arts.

T e numeral 1 indicates a vertically-elongated case, the lower portion of which is expanded from front to rear to afford a shelf 2 and to afford a compartment of sufficient size to contain all of the operative arts of the mechanism. Set into the vertica front wall of the case above the shelf 2 is a glass pane r3. Rigidly secured side by side within the upper portion of the case and depending into the enlarged lowe'r compartment thereof is a plurality of upri ht magazines or holders 4, that are open at tieir upper ends and are preferably also partially open at theirfront faces, as best shown in ig. 1.

At their lower ends "these magazines are o en and are provided with de ending side p ates 4*, formed with inturne box-supporting flanges 4b. The articles to be sold are preferably put up in packages, such as boxes z, and which boxes or packages loosely fit within said magazines and the lower members of which normally rest upon the said box-supporting flanges 4b just noted. The lower boxes are thus supported by the flanges 4b in sich manner that they may be discharged from said magazine only by. forward movements, which forward movements are accom lished by means of socalled ejectors. T ese ejectors, of which there is one for each magazine, are `preferably in the form of segments 5, that are loosel and independently mounted on a rock-sha t 6, loosely journaled in bearing-brackets 7 and 8, rigidly Secured within the enlarged lower compartment of the case 1. Each ejector 5 is provided with a depending leg 9 for a purpose which will presently appear.

For operating the e ectors-that is, for moving the same from t eir normal osition (indicated b'Jfull lines in Fig. 2) into t eir discharging I4positions (indicated by dotted lines in said ig. 2)- I provide key mechanism referably comprisi verticallymoving cys 10, links 11, and evers 12. The stem of the keys 10 work through the shelf 2 of the case 1, and the links 11 pivotallyconnect the lower ends of said stems to the forward 'ends of the levers 12. The levers 12 are pivoted at 12'3L to the ej ectors 5, and their rearwardl .f I

projecting ends normally' engage with t e rear edges of the segmental ends of the said ej ectors. With this construction downward pressure on the keys 1() positively forces the corresponding ejector from its normal position into its ejection position, (assuming, of course, that the said ejector is not locked against such movement,) but an upward movement of said stems will have no tendency Whatever to return the said ejectors to their normal positions. The rearward move'- ments of the ejectors are limited by stops 13,

e'ectors 5 are preferably mounted on the s afts 6 for quite free movements, but under sufficient friction to prevent either accidental or untimely movements, so that they will tend to stand in whatever positions they mayl be set. T o normalll, lock all of the ejectors a ainst operative movements, I provide w at I term a primar lock device. This primary lock device W en released will permit any one of the ejectors to be given its operative movement. As a means for -permitting. the movement of any one of the efectors when released by the primary lock evice, but for preventing the movement of more than one actuator, 'I provide what I secured to the back plate of the case. The

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herein term a secondary or limiting lock. The primary lock device, which is common to all of the ejectors, .is arranged to be released by a single coin mechanism and by the deposit of a single coin. The primary lock device, as shown, includes stub-arms 15,

that are rigidly secured on the, rock-shaft 6,- one adjacentto each ejector 5, each of saidA jections 22 on the brac et 7, normally holds the arm 18 against a stop 23 on said bracket 7. This spring 21 has such strength that it readily overcomes all of the light springs 14, and hence normally holdsthe partsy carried by the shaft 6 an also the ejectors in the position indicated by full lines in the drawings. A lock-dog 24is pivoted to the arm 17 and normally stands with its free end in position to engage the stop 23 above noted. A forwardly-pro] ecting trip-arm 25 is rigidly secured to the lock-dog 24 and at its free forward end is provided with a trou h-like coin-receptacle 26. A light coiled spring 27, attached to the trip-arm 25 and to the arm 19, normally holds the parts 24, 25, and 26 in ,the positions indicated by full lines in Fig. 3. To the free end of the arm 18 is pivoted a toggle-actin retaining-dog 28,

which is yieldingly held y a s ring 29 in the extended position. (Shown in ig.3.) On the upper portion of the bearing-bracket 7 is a segmental ratchet-bar 30, that is so located that when the arm 18 is .moved forward the retaining-dog 28 will bei moved ivotall backward and will engage the ratciiet-t'eet and revent a return movement of said arm, and ence of the rock-shaft 6 and other parts carried thereby, unless the said arm be first moved far enough to carry the free end of said retaining-dog forward of and out of en? gagement with said ratchet-bar 3(1), whereupon underfa return movement of said arm said Lretaining-dog will be moved pivotally and permit the return movement of saidarm.

In the drawings the coin is indicated 50th by full and dotted lines and is marked by the character z. This coin is ada vted to be inserted into the case through a elivery-spout 31, the up er endof which opens through the shelf 2. ro`m the spout 31 the coin dro sinto a second spout 32, located within t e case with its lower end in position to direct the coin directly into the coin-receptacle 26 on the free end of the trip-arm 25.l

The numeral 33 indicates a coin-detainer in the form of a metallic strip secured to and rojecting laterally' from the bracket 7 and ibcated in Vposition to hold n the coin within .are beveled at 35.

The numeral -34 in icates a magnet secured. to the bracket 7 inposition to catchand hold iron slugs in case the same should be inserted into the machine instead of al coin. 4This magnet forms no part of my present invention. The secondary or limiting lock mechanism operates upon the depending legs 9 ofthe eiectors 5 and, 'as shown, comprise a pair of s sliding movements in a channeled support 36, rigidly secured to the bpttom of the case 1. At their forward edges, in line with the several ejector-legs 9., thev limiting-plates 35 The limiting-plates 35 are of such'width and are so related to the ejlector-legs 9 that any one, but only'o'ne of t e said legs, maybe moved rearward under 'an operative movement of its ejector. Such.

rearward movement of one of the legs 9 will either produce a separation of the two plates 35, as shown in Fig. 4, or will cause the said ding-lock-plates 35, that are mounted for plates to movetogether, as shown in Fig. 5 and thereby lock against rearward movements the other two legs 9 and the corresponding ejectors. This l construction of course permits the useof any desired number of ejectors in connection with a single coin-actuatedreleasing device. The bearing 36 is of course cut away, so as to permit free rearward movements of the legs 9 of the several ejectors.

The numeral indicates a hoppersecured loowithin the case 1n position to receive the,`

boxes or articles z which are discharged from the magazines b the ejectors. An opening 38 in the front o the case 1 close to the bottom thereof o ensinto the bottomof the hopper 37, so t at the box deposited therein may be reached with the fingers and removed from the case by the lpurchaser.

The characters y, y and y2 indicate sample articles placed within the case back of the pane 3 to indicate the class of articles contained in the several magazines. The said articles, as illustrated, are.collar andcuff buttons.l t

.The operation is probably obvious from the foregoing description, but may be briefly summarized as follows: The purchaser deposits a coin in the u per end o 'the s out 31, and this coin, as a ready describe is deposited in the receptacle 26 on the free end of the trip-arm 17. he coin thus deposited on the receptacle 26 by its weight overcomes the light spring 27 and forces the lock-do 24 dotted-line posiy it will seen that the primary lock device is IIO released by the weight of the deposited coin. So far as the primary lock device is concerned all of the actuators are then released, and any one of the actuators may be given an operative or ejecting movement by pressing downward on its connected ke 10, thereby forcing the ejector into the otted-line position shown in Fi 2 and ejeeting one of the boxes or articles z om the corresponding magazine. The secondary or limiting lock then comes into play to prevent the depression of the second key and the movement of a second actuator until after the movable parts of the primary lock device have been restored to normal position and again released by the deposit of another coin. The retaining-dog 28 and ratchet-bar 30, as already described, prevent a return movement of the rock-shaft 6 and parts carried thereby from any intermediate position and permitr such return movement only after the said rock-shaft has been given its extreme movement and has carried the said dog 28 forward of said ratchet-bar.

. This extreme movement of the rock-shaft under extreme downward movement of one of the ke s 10 carries the coin-receptacle 26 suflicient y far below the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3 and below the detainer or stop 33 to permit the coin to drop `therefrom onto the bottom of the case or into which was just operated is forced positively backward to its normal position by the engagement of the corresponding stop -lug 16 therewith. '1

In my experiment with machines of this general character I found that when the keys were so connected to the respective -e'ectors that they could impart movements t ereto in both directions it`was sometimes possible to force the key down far enough to cause the ejeetorto dislodge one of the parcels z Without carrying the retaining-pawl 28 out of enageinent with the forward end of the ratchetliar 30 and then by repeated manipulations of said key discharge in succession a plurality of the said parcels. This action or cheating of the machine is prevented in my improved machine by, an arrangement which permits the ke to e raised without returning to norma position the corresponding eector 5. -The springs 14 serve to revent t e said ejectors from being acci entally jarred or moved to normal positions by upward movements of the keys 10. The said s rings are of course of such light tension iiat they will be overcome by springs 21 when the retaining-pawl 28 has been forced forward of the ratchet-bar 30.

From what has been said it will of course be understood that any desired number f magazines or holders and operating-ejectors may be employed in connection with a single coin-actuated lock-releasing mechanism.

I believe that I am the first to arrange a single coin-actuated lock-releasing device in combination with a plurality of magazines or article-supplying devices and cooperating positively-acting eiectors and desire to claim t this feature from t 1e broadest pointof view. From what has been said it ofcourse follows that the mechanism illustrated in the drawings is capable of large range of modification within the scope of my invention as herein set forth and claimed.'

The term magazines is used in a broad sense to include means for holding the articles to be vended or delivered from the machine. The tern1-"ejectors is used in a broad sense to include means for effecting the delivery of the articles from the maga` zines. The term coin is used in a broad sense to include all devices by the de )osit of which the trip is actuated to release t ie lock mechanism.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. In a vending-machine, the combination with a plurality of magazines and a pluralit of positively-acting ejectors, oflimiting loc mechanism ermlttlng the movement of any one of sai e'ectors, and preventing the movement of t e others, means for releasing said ejectors by the deposit of a coin, and. means for positlvely operating any one of thc released ejectors, substantially as described.

2. In a vending-machine, the combination with a plurality of magazines and a plurality of ejectors, of key connections to said ejectors arranged to impart operative movements thereto, a primar lock device operative to simultaneousl ibck and simultaneously release all of sald actuators, a secondary or limiting lock operating to permit the movement of any one of said ejectors and preventing the movement of the others, and a coin-actuated releasing device for said primary loek, substantially as described.

3. In a vending-machine, the combination with a plurality of magazines and a plurality of ejectors, of key connections to said ejectors, arranged to iin )art ositive operative movements thereto, laut themselves capable of movements back to normal position while said actuators are in set positions, substantially as described.

4. In a vending-machine, lthe combination with a plurality of magazines, of a rock-shaft below said magazines, a plurality of e'ectors loosely pivoted on said rock-shaft an coperating with said magazines, sto s carried bv said rock-shaft and normally ioldng said eJectors in inoperative positions, a lock-dog normally holding said rock-shaft against IIO IIS

lmovement, means whereby a deposited c'oin will cause said dog to release sald shaft and parts carried thereby, and a secondary or imiting lock, permitting the' movement of one, but only one of said actuators, substantially as described.

y 5. In a vendin-machine, the combination with a plurality o ejectors, of a rock-shaft on which said ejectors are inde endently pivoted, stops carried by said roc -shaft and normally holding said ej ectors in inoperative posit-ions, a sprlng yieldingl holding said rock` shaft and parts carried t ereby in a normal position, a lock-do pivoted on a projection carried by said roc -shaft, a fixed sto y coperatng with said lock-dogto normail) y loc/k said rock-shaft, a-s ringfheld arm attached.

yto said lock-dog an provided with a coin-receptacle, means for directing the coin into sa1d coin-receptacle, key connections for imparting operative movements to said actuators, and a secondary lock device operatin to permit the movement of one, but only o oneof said actuators, substantially as' described. h

In testimony Whereofl affix my slgnature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

SIDNEY L. LONG. Witnesses:

JOHN B. GRGEN,v` Arr P. PREsooTT. 

